Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1887-11-10


of their faces corresponding to the outside
diameter on the size Of the pipe desired to
be made, and into this hole, on the side of
the rolls away from the furnace, 81 iron
s'ball," which is not q ball but o cone,
with the point toward the furnace, is in
serted on the end Of a steel rcd twenty-five
feet long, which rod u back and forth
to and away from the furnace on rollers,
and both it and the "ball" are constantly
cooled with water save when a section of
pipe is coming from the furnace. A ball
having been placed upon the end of the
rod by a boy, and the rod run towards the
furnace until the point end Of the "ball"
is in the groove between the rolls, the rod
man Sounds small steam whistle, and if
section of tube is hot enough il N
rapidly out of the furnace, propelled by
the piston rod of the engine of twenty-five
feet stroke. The end of the tube
passes into the circular groove between
the rolls and over the 'ball" and the rod
attached thereto, with a noise almost
deafeniug, while the air is filed with
fying sparks. The ball" acts as an
anvil, and upon it the swiftly revolving
rolls swedge the edges of the tube to-
gether, and We have a section OF pipe in a
very rough state.
As the now welded tube is run out from
between the rolls it lands in a sort of
groove, where, after the rod and ball"
have been run back from the inside of it,
it is passed to an inspector, who passes
upon the weld, and either condemns the
tube or passes it on, as is generally the case.
Meanwhile the hot ''ball' has been knock
ed from the end Of the rod and taken to
another boy who coOls it and knocks the
scale from it, while a fresh ball" is placed
on the rod, and the rodman sounds his
whistle and waits for another section of
tube from the furnace. The whole opera
ton occupies but half a minute.
Meanwhile the recently welded piece OF
pipe has been passed to the sizing rolls,
where it is reduced TO exactly the proper
dimensions, and is then SEN to the straight
ening rolls, where the kinks are taken out
Of it. 1t passes or to a cooling table, where
it is reduced very decidedly in temperature,
and then goes through n set Of rolls, where
it is cold-straightened. The pipe then
passes to the threading department, where
the rough ends are squared of and a thread
cut on each end. A coupling Is then put
on one end, and the pipe IL taken to the
testing department, where it is subjected to
a pressure of 900 pounds to the square inch
ii for gas pipe, and 10 $500 pounds II for
line pipe. Ii the test is stood, the pipe Is
completed, being about two feet longer
than the original strip of metal, and is sent
out onto the shipping wharf, at the north
,,1n oe tkn Il, ill,nr fur ohinOtaDf
With butt-welded pipe, which are Of
small size, running down to an eighth OF
an inch, the process is different ingthis
The edges of the roughly bent tube do not
lap, They are not therefore given q pre-
liminary bevei, but are brought squarely
together. Then one-half of the pipe is
heated aud drawn through a die, in which
the edges are united, and afterwards the
process is repeated with the other end, the
men using the finished end OF the pipe as a
handle to manipulate the other half. The
pipe once welded, the finishing operation
is the same. The butt-welded ppe is
tested to stand a pressure of $40 pounds.
The pipe couplings, which are from an
Inch to four inches in length, according TO
the size of the pipe they are intended for,
dit ulult vi SilOIJ PltStS VI SlSVl SOiuO" ~
Of the size and appearance of nail plate.
These are cut of from long sheets by ma
chinery, roughly bent in a circle, then
swedged and sized by steam hammers, and
finally threaded inside preparatory to be.
ing fitted on the pipe. In the cutting of the
screw threads, the couplings or the ends of
the pipe, rs the case may be, are kept in
a bath of lard oil, which is stored in a tank,
a car load ut a time, and forced all over
the works by a pumping engine, the same
oil being used over and over again until it
is rs black ~ crude petroleum.
This outlines the process of manufaC-
ture, but it does not convey the absorbing
interest OF the plant as it is when in &C.
tual operation. The industry il q new
one for Wheeling, and is probably the
most attractive of all those now in our
Llidst. As showing the excellence Of the
metal used, and the superiority of the
steel pipe over the iron, a series of tests
were made at the plant in the presence of
the REGISTER reporter, which left little
doubts in the minds of those who wit
messed it. Sections Of pipe, steel and
iron, two and One-half inches in diameter
aud two inches long, were tested with a
steam hammer and i'll the blacksmith
shop, and in every case the steel was flat
tened ont with scarcely a flaw, while the
iron utterly failed to stand the strain, and
flew to pieceg:
There is great anxiety in the minds of
the management regarding the future of
the gas supply. Yesterday the supply
ran low, necessitating n stOppage for two
or three hours. Mr.. Hearne dwelt upon
this with great earnPstness in his converse
ton with the REGISTER, and urged in the
strongest terms that something be done to
any possibility of a shortage. He
said the present and future of the tube
works depended upOn this matter. And
the works depended in a great measure
the prosperity of the lower end of Wheel
ing. Their entire plant is constructed for
the use of g9s, and TO 20 back TO coal it
would have to be rebuilt. Mr.. Hearne
thinks, in common with others, hat there
is no trouble about there being an abund-
ance of gas at the wells, but thinks the
pipes of the gas companies are Over-taxed.
a new pipe line to the gas fields would
afford instant relief, and he and other man
ufaotureIs earnestly hope steps in thia
direction will be taken at an early day.
UNITED STATES COURT.
Cases of Violation of Revenue
a,1 ntba. C...a ni.,n..A mr. |